You might remember my musings about Chanel’s Les Beiges from a while ago; I love a good compact powder to tackle my unruly oily skin and when it looks like pure luxury & smells like it too.. You’ve got my devoted attention. Chanel is releasing a new compact foundation called Vitalumière Compact Douceur, it’ll be replacing the Vitalumière Eclat Compact from now on. The new powder is a lot lighter and very gentle on the skin; although I’ve never myself tried the previous version so I can’t compare exactly.


Oops, I couldn’t restrain myself from using the powder before taking pictures.. But why should I? I think it’s interesting to see how products look when used.. Especially body products (like whipped body creams, those simply don’t look the same without a good swirl), but I like a pretty and used piece of makeup too. You can see how finely milled this powder is by the small scratches my (medium soft) power brush makes in the compact.. It literally melts away like a cream product would. So how does a compact powder foundation ends up this lightweight? Chanel added a couple of new steps to the production of this compact powder; to ensure the texture and softness. There’s the whipping of the powders, water & binders which ensures a creamy texture; as well as the slow heating at a low temperature of the active ingredients when they are added to the powder mixture. And just before the mixture is pressed, it’s sifted one last time.

The powder comes with a handy sponge as an applicator, which is perfect when you’re aiming for a medium coverage or when you’re touching up oilier areas of the face throughout the day. I use the powder with my big powder brush though, to set my liquid foundation and mattify my complexion as well as still add a radiance to it. That’s what I like about this powder: even though it takes care of my sometimes a bit too glowy complexion, it still manages to add some natural glow to my face. I guess that’s what Vitalumière stands for: effortless glow. It lasts well through the afternoon and then calls for some touch ups, although you might be just fine all day long if you have dry or normal skin.

I’ve received the second lightest available shade (number 12 in Beige Rosé) and it’s been working perfectly for my pale skin (for reference: I am 50/51 with Bourjois, NC15/20 with MAC). It contains an SPF10, which is not enough to last through the day but it’s a nice little bonus. Another little extra is the floral scent: it smells like most Chanel makeup/skin care does and you either hate it or love it.. And I love love love fragranced powders! The complete compact retails for  €53 and there are powder refills available at €40,50.